Good news and bad news after double header sweep against Blue Jays

The New York Yankees handled business to take their first series of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays, picking up two big wins to put behind an ugly Friday night meltdown. Devin Williams’ blown save put the Bronx Bombers on the back foot as they wanted to make it two-straight series wins against AL East opponents to start the season, especially with the Blue Jays staying in the mix to try and contend for the division crown.

Backed by excellent pitching performances and a red-hot offense, the Yankees were able to win Game 1 by a score of 11-2 and Game 2 by a score of 5-1 to send the Blue Jays out of the Bronx with a series loss.

Offense Explodes to Give Yankees a Cushion in Game 1


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The Yankees mashed Toronto pitching for 11 runs, but it didn’t look like they would play a laugher after the first two innings. A sloppy defensive play from Oswaldo Cabrera allowed Bo Bichette to get to second base and eventually score in the first, with Max Fried looking a bit shaky.

Kevin Gausman retired six of the first seven hitters he faced without much trouble, outdueling Max Fried early in the game, but the tides would change in the third inning. The Yankees would work some tough walks against Gausman to load the bases, with Cody Bellinger delivering a sacrifice fly that seemingly opened the floodgates. Paul Goldschmidt and Anthony Volpe both had RBI walks before Austin Wells delivered a knockout blow with a bases-clearing double.

Anthony Volpe’s home run in the fifth would set off another frenzy with Oswaldo Cabrera driving two more runs on a double later on in the frame. Paul Goldschmidt would deliver an RBI double later in the game, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. would reach on an error that allowed the 11th run to score in the eighth inning. The Yankees totalled 12 hits and 8 walks on the afternoon, and Max Fried made sure that didn’t go to waste, firing six innings of one-run baseball.

Yerry De Los Santos, the 27th man called up for this doubleheader, picked up two scoreless frames, and Tyler Matzek made his Yankee debut, allowing a run in the ninth. An excellent team win for the Bombers, they would roll right into their second game of the day, an important rubber matchup to decide the series winner.

Clarke Schmidt Sets the Tone, Bullpen Shuts the Door on Blue Jays


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While his command wasn’t the sharpest, Clarke Schmidt delivered his finest start of the 2025 season as he struck out six batters and allowed just one hit across five innings. His lone run came on a solo blast from Anthony Santander, but he had to work around four walks as his location was spotty all afternoon. Schmidt’s stuff looked crisp, and while he exited the game while it was still tied, it set the tone for a dominant bullpen performance.

Being able to go to lower-leverage relievers in Game 1 allowed Aaron Boone to deploy his best weapons in Game 2, with Tim Hill and Mark Leiter Jr. facing the minimum to hand the ball to Fernando Cruz. The breakout reliever surrendered a soft single to the outfield in between striking out two batters in a scoreless frame, and Luke Weaver would come on in the ninth to get the easy 1-2-3 inning and lock the game down.

Trent Grisham opened the scoring in the first with a solo home run, with Aaron Judge breaking the 1-1 tie in the sixth where the Yankees were finally able to get to Chris Bassitt. The veteran right-hander has pitched in five games against the Yankees before this one, having a quality start in all five of them, but today he was knocked out before completing six as Jasson Dominguez would deliver an RBI double to make it 3-1.

J.C. Escarra would smoke a line drive to right field on the first pitch he saw from new reliever Brendon Little to make it 4-1, and he’d add on another insurance run against old friend Chad Green as he walloped his first MLB home run.

The Yankees improve to 17-11 on the season, the best mark in the American League East, and they’ll hope to win another series as they go to Baltimore for a three-game set beginning tomorrow. It’ll be another early test for the Bronx Bombers despite some early-season scuffles for the Orioles, who still have a potent offense that can ambush a pitcher.